Counter-reinforced padded-sole footwear and method of making the same



p 1957 I J MELTZER 2,806,301

COUNTER-REINFORCEb PADDED-SOLE FOOTWEAR, AND

Filod March 28, 1955 METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 3'Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR JACK MELTZER a Y F ATTORNE? p l957 MELTZER 2,

COUNTER-REINFORCED PADDED-SOLE FOOTWEAR, AND

METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filud llarch 28. 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JACK ME L TZER p 1 1957 J. MELTZER 2,806,301.

COUNTER-REINFORCED PADDED-SOLE FOOTWEAR, AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JACK MELTZER ATTORIN United States atent COUNTER-REINFORCED PADDED-SOLE FOOT- WEAR AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Jack Meltzer, Hollywood, Calif.

Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 497,221

Claims. (Cl. 36-9) The present invention relates generally to footwear, and has particular reference to footwear of the turned padded sole type. The invention is directed toward certain improvements in the construction of footwear of this kind, and to an improved manufacturing procedure.

It is common practice in the manufacture of soft indoor slippers and the like to assemble a relatively soft outer sole, an upper, a sock lining, and a sole padding, with the parts in an inside-out relationship, and to turn the construction right side out during the course of the com-. pletion of the manufacturing procedure. The principal advantage of such a construction lies in its simplicity and low cost. In attempting to provide such an article of footwear with a heel and with a style-enhancing counter in the rear region, numerous difficulties have heretofore been encountered. The application of a heel has usually involved the employment of a special heel pad, and a tedious series of steps, requiring considerable skill, in forcing the heel pad firmly into a squeezed-in position. Similarly, the practices heretofore resorted to in endeavoring to provide a stiffening for the rear part of the upper have involvedthe use of inferior stiffening materials (where the application is made prior to the turning of the shoe), or have resulted in a rough and uneven heel seat on the interior of the shoe, with parts of the structure held down by adhesive means and hence susceptible to curling, wrinkling, and general disarrangement.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a relatively simple yet highly effective way to furnish a shoe of the turned padded-sole variety with a heel of satisfactory character, and to stiffen the rear region of the upper with the aid of a pre-formed adequately stiff counter. These desirable results are achieved without any sacrifice in comfort, and the appearance and wearing qualities of the slipper are greatly improved.

The achievement of the objectives of the invention is attributable, at least in part, to the employment of a special counter assembly consisting of a pro-molded counter having at its lower end a heel-pad enclosing part within which a heel-pad is snugly accommodated. The heelpad is thus notonly firmly and reliably held in the desired position at all times, but it may be composed of any desired material and may embody any desired degree of softness, without impairing the shape and staunchness and outer appearance of the shoe. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the counter is provided with an inwardly-directed groove along the upper margin of the heel-pad enclosing part, this groove helping to improve the outer appearance of the shoe, especially where the upper is secured by an inturned seam to a heel wrapper. a

The new procedure is in many respects similar to conventional practice in making footwear, but differs in certain important respects whereby, at a crucial stage in the manufacturing procedure, subsequent to the turning of the original assembly of parts, it is made possible and practical to insert the counter and its associated heel-pad into position.

2, 8 0 6,3lll Patented Sept. 17, 1957 "ice 0 diagrammatic fashion the initial assembly of outer sole,

upper, and heel wrapper;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, at a subsequent stage in the assembly process;

Fig.5 is a diagrammatic view showing the parts after the assembly has been turned, with the counter and heelpad in the process of being inserted into position;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the rear part of the shoe in its finally assembled condition, this view being taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a slightly modified construction, at the stage corresponding t-o that of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View along the line 8-8 indicated in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view similar to the lower right hand part of Fig. 6, when the modified manufacturing procedure of Fig. 7 has been brought to completion.

For reasons of simplicity of illustration and description, I have chosen to show how my invention is applicable to a slipper or similar article of footwear in which the upper consists of a vamp portion 10 and a quarter portion 11, these parts overlapping to a slight extent in the region 12 The finished shoe has a soft outer sole 13, extending for the full length of the slipper, a heel wrapper 14, and a full-length sock lining 15 securely and comfortably stitched into position throughout its entire periphery. Lying between the outer sole 13 and the sock lining 15 is a full-length sole padding. Beneath this padding in the heel region of the shoe there is a special heel-pad; and snugly fitted between the quarter portion 11 and a lining element 16 therefor is a high-quality counter of stifi and effective character. Of primary importance is the fact that the counter has a heel-pad enclosing part laying snugly within the confines of the heel wrapper 14, so that the rear region of the shoe is firm and staunch and formretaining to a highly desirable degree.

The counter I employ may be of any suitable shape, depending in large measure upon the nature and contours of the upper with which it is to be associated. It may be of any desired material. In the preferred construction it has a main part 17 and a heel-pad enclosing part 18 at its lower end. The part 18 may be substantially U- shaped at the rear and along the sides, as indicated by the lower flange 19, but this flange may be tapered off and may beeliminated completely at the forward end of the counter element, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Along the upper margin of the part 18 the counter element 17 is preferably provided with the inwardly-directed groove 20.

Adapted to fit snugly within the part 18 is a heel-pad 21, which may be of any desired material. The shape of the pad 21 will correspond, of course, to. the-shape of the enclosing part 18 of the counter; but these parts can conjointly assume any desired shape, so that the completed shoe may embody any desired style or appearance, including a heel of barrel shape, concave shape, or any other desired contour.

In carrying out the manufacturing procedure, it will be assumed that the heel wrapper 14 and the quarter 11 are composed of separate pieces, although this is not in every respect essential. The first step lies in stitching the quarter 11 along its lower margin to the heel wrapper 14, the right sides of these parts facing each other. The stitching that accomplishes this is designated 22 in Fig. 3. The wrapper 14 willof course embody a shape corresponding to that 'of the counter part 18, and heel-pad 21, subsequently to be associated with it.

. The preliminary assembly involves Iat'the same time the stitching of the full length outer sole 13 to the upper and to the heel wrapper. In the forward region of' the sole 13, it is stitched as at'23'to the lower margin of the vamp 10. In. the rear region of the sole 13,- it is stitched as at 24 to the free edge of the heel wrapper 14. The stitches 23 and'24 are made with theright sides of the parts 10, 13 and 14 facingeach other. i

The next step consists in applying the full-length sole padding 26 (Fig. 4) toithe'inside' surface of the sole 13, and overlaying it with a full-length sock lining 15. In the forward. region of the assembly, the sock lining 15 is secured to the joined edges of the parts 10 and 13 by an overseam 25 which'may, if desired, engage also with the margin of the padding 26. At this stage, however, the procedure deviates from conventional practice, in that the rear region of the sock lining 15 is stitched only to the lower margin of the lining element 16. This may be achieved by the same over-seam 25 as indicated in Fig. 4, but it is to -be observed that the-seam 25 in the rear region of the assembly does not engage with the upper 10, 11. As a result,at this stage of the process the lining element 16, the rear part of the sock lining 15, and the rear part of the sole padding 26 are completely disconnected from the rear part of the previously completed assembly shown in Fig. 3.

The assembly is now turned right side out, and it may be observed that this procedure is much simpler than is usually the case, because of the disengagement of the parts 15 and 11 in the rear region, especially in the crowded region at approximately the point 27 (Fig. 3) where the usual practice brings together a multiplicity of joined edges and intermingling stitches, requiring skill and dexterity, and leading to many unsatisfactory results.

After turning, the parts may be adjusted as indicated in Fig. 5, to lift the lining element 16 and the attached rear part of the sock lining 15, and to lift also the rear part of the sole padding 26, thus leaving a space of adequate size to permit insertion of the counter and heelpad, assembled in the relationship shown in the upper part of Fig. The arrow 28 indicates the direction of insertion of the counter and heel-pad. After having been brought into position, with the heel-pad 21 lying beneath the sole padding 26 and with the pad enclosure 18 of the counter lying snugly within the confines of the heel wrapper 14, the padding 26 and the sock lining 15, along with the lining element 16, are restored to position, thus bringing the parts into the assembled relation shown in Fig. 6. The final step lies in joining the top and side edges of. the lining element 16 to the quarter 11, thus completing the enclosure of the counter 17. The securement of the parts 16 and 11 may be conveniently achieved by means of ornamental lacing 29 or the like, and obviously it may be desirable to provide similar lacing along the upper edge of the front part of the upper (along the edge 30 of Fig. l) in order to achieve an enhanced overall appearance. Obviously, if desired, means other than the lacing 29 may be resorted to,.to join the parts 11 and 16 along the top and side edges of the lining element 16.

When the parts are completely assembled, the inturned seam between the heel wrapper 14 and the quarter 11 fits itself snugly into the groove 20, and this greatly enhances the neat appearance of the shoe, also serving to hold the parts permanently in the desired relationships. On the interior of the shoe, the sock lining 15 and lining element 16 are neatly joined, with no raw edges likely to curl or become disarranged. Moreover, the wearer finds beneath his heel a substantial depth of comfortable and soft material, unimpaired by the stifiFening that has been imparted to the upper and to the heel wrapper region.

The modified procedure and construction illustrated in Figs. 7-9 are in most respects so similar to the procedure and construction thus far described that the same reference numerals have been applied to all parts except the lining element 16. In Fig. 7 the lining element 16 is not joined to the sock lining by a continuation of'the over-seam 25, but is joined to it by turning the lower margin of the lining element 16 outwardly and securing it flat-wise .to the rear part of the sock lining 15 by means of ordinary stitches 31. It is contemplated that the parts 16' and '15 will be secured together by the stitches 31 prior to the application of the sock lining 15 by the overcast stitching 25 to the assembly of vamp portion 10, outer sole 13 and sole padding 26. In this procedure, therefore, the stitching 25 terminates at the forward end of the lining element 16 during the assembly of the parts previously described in connection with Figs. 3 and 4.

When the assembly of Fig. 7 is turned right side out, it is obvious that no turning need be effected in connection with the lining element 16' since this is already in the proper relationship to the sock lining 15 and the other parts of the structure. At this stage, the parts 16', 15 and 26 are raised, as indicated in Fig. 5, and the procedure is brought to completion in exactly the same way as hereinbefore described. In the finished shoe, as shown in Fig. 9, the seam 31 between the lining element 16 and the sock lining 15 directs the joined edges rearwardly and downwardly into a hidden disposition behind the sole padding 26. This affords even greater comfort, neatmess, and good appearance, than that produced in the construction of Figs. 1-6.

It will be understood that the basic features of the improved process are applicable to slippers and shoes having style characteristics different from those herein illustrated. Moreover, since the rear part of the sock lining is no longer secured, during any stage of the process, to the outer element of the upper itself in the rear region of the shoe, the employment of a separate element of material to form the heel Wrapper 14 is not essential. Thus, the parts herein depicted as being joined by the seam 22 may in practice be formed of a single piece of material if desired. Under such circumstances, it may be said that the upper in the rear region has an extension defining a heel wrapper. Similarly it will be understood that the construction may be modified by the employment of an added platform with an accompanying added platform wrapper. Under such circumstances, the platform wrapper and the upper may be considered conjointly to constitute the upper of the shoe, so far as the practice of the present invention is concerned. a

In general it will be understood that many of the details herein described and illustrated may be readily modified by those skilled in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims:

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by LettersPatent is:

1. In the manufacture of an article of footwear of the turned padded sole type, the steps which consist in providing an upper that has in its rear region an extension defining a heel wrapper; stitching an outer sole in its rear region to the free edge of said heel wrapper and in its forward region to the lower margin of the upper, said stitching being performed with the upper inside out and with the right sides of the upper and sole,

providing a counter having a heel-pad enclosure and a heel-pad enclosed thereby; lifting the lining element and sock lining and sole padding and inserting the counter and heel-pad so that the pad enclosure lies within the confines of said heel wrapper; and then restoring the sole padding and sock lining and lining element and attaching the free edge of the lining element to the upper to complete the enclosure of said counter.

2. In the manufacture of an article of footwear of the turned padded sole type, the steps which consist in stitching an upper along its lower margin in the rear region thereof to a heel Wrapper, right sides facing each other; stitching an outer sole in its rear region to the free edge of the heel wrapper and in its forward region to the lower margin of the upper, right sides facing each other; applying a conforming full-length sole padding to the inside surface of the sole; providing a lining element for the rear region of the upper; stitching a full-length sock lining in its forward region to the joined edges of the upper and sole and in its rear region only to the lower margin of said lining element; turning the assembly right side out; providing a counter having a heel-pad enclosure and a heel-pad enclosed thereby; lifting the lining element and sock lining and sole padding and inserting the counter and heel-pad so that the pad enclosure lies within the confines of said heel wrapper; and then restoring the sole padding and sock lining and lining element and attaching the free edge of the lining element to the upper to complete the enclosure of said counter.

3. In an article of footwear of the padded sole type, an upper having in its rear region an extension defining a heel wrapper, an outer sole stitched along its periphery to said upper, a fu1l-length sock lining stitched in its forward region to the joined edges of the upper and sole but free of connection therewith in its rear region, a sole padding between the sole and the sock lining, a heelpad beneath the rear part of said sole padding, a lining element in the rear region of the upper secured to the upper along its top and sides and stitched to the sock lining along its bottom edge, and a pre-molded rigid counter between the upper and lining element and having a rigid heel-pad enclosing part lying snugly within the confines of said heel wrapper and snugly enclosing said heelpad.

4. In an article of footwear of the padded sole type, an upper, a heel wrapper stitched to the lower margin of the upper by an inturned seam, an outer sole stitched along its periphery to the lower margin of said heel wrapper and to the lower margin of said upper forwardly of said heel wrapper, a full-length sock lining stitched in its forward region to the joined edges of the upper and sole but free of connection therewith in its rear region, a sole padding between the sole and the sock lining, a heel-pad beneath the rear part of said sole padding, a lining element in the rear region of the upper secured to the upper along its top and sides and stitched to the sock lining along its bottom edge, and a pro-molded rigid counter between the upper and lining element and having a rigid heel-pad enclosing part lying snugly within the confines of said heel wrapper and snugly enclosing said heel-pad, said counter having an inwardly directed groove along the upper margin of said heel-pad enclosing part, said inturned seam lying within said groove.

5. In an article of footwear, the structure defined in claim 3, in which the lining element and the sock lining are joined in overlying relation, right sides facing each other, whereby the joined edges project rearwardly and downwardly into hidden disposition behind said sole padding.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,456 Basler Nov. 5, 1918 1,655,397 Home Jan. 3, 1928 1,795,305 Jacob Mar. 10, 1931 1,861,844 Dodge et a1. June 7, 1932 

